Virtual universes or virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for its users or residents to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are personas or representations of the users of the virtual universes and generally take the form of two-dimensional or three-dimensional human or fantastical representations of a person's self. These types of virtual universes are now most common in massively multiplayer online games such as Second Life which is a trademark of Linden Research in the United States. Avatars in these types of virtual universes, which can number well over a million, have a wide range of business and social experiences.
Communication is paramount for having an agreeable business and/or social experience. A typical virtual universe allows residents to communicate through communication channels that include email, instant messaging, chatting, teleport requests and visual interactions which can include gestures and postures. These communication channels work quite well for residents that are logged into the virtual universe for a substantial period of time. However, there are large numbers of residents that are not logged into the virtual universe for long periods of time making them inaccessible for the most part until they log back into the virtual universe. Therefore, it is difficult for these residents that are not logged into the virtual universe at all times to maintain a continuous presence, which causes sharp divisions between residents that spend large portions of their days in the virtual universe as compared to those residents that reside temporarily in the universe. These divisions can impair the ability for all residents of the virtual universe to obtain the most of their business and/or social experience within the virtual universe.